


Allegiance

by guren666



Category: The Technomancer (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship, Gen, Jeff is having none of ASC's bullshit, Viktor Watcher doesn't know when to quit, and something more if you catch my drift, between Jeff & Dave, canon typical oppression, done both by ASC and Vory, drinking is a form of a coping mechanism, literal arguing with a bird, not beta'ed we die like technomancers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29925372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guren666/pseuds/guren666
Summary: His peaceful life in military service is disrupted by Colonel Viktor Watcher's continued attempts to recruit him into his own secret police force. Jeff has other idea about the matter and shakes off three agents trying to seduce him to work for ASC with honeyed words, promises of promotion. But Jeff wants nothing to do with the guy and he takes out his frustration on the latest messenger...which turns out to be a bird.





	Allegiance

This Lieutenant, the Mancer wasn’t a bad guy. He was a bit stiff when it came down to socializing, but in the army one rarely made friends with the likes of a ‘country bumpkin’ from Greenhope. His other squadmate was sarcastic and jaded from being a soldier for over a decade, stuck as a private for the longest time without a prospect of promotion – now it’s even more unlikely because of their reassignment under a Mancer, of all people.

Ward in particular was giving him a headache, always complaining about everything when on duty, whether they were escorting the officials or talking to a Seeker girl about some old man’s abandoned research. Jeff wasn’t too keen about running around, doing errands for someone else, but Zachariah Mancer was in charge out in the field, so he had to obey one way or another. He was just a Hunter, alone in this big city. Other Hunters didn’t want to associate with him either; after all army life was all about competition and climbing the ladder.

So, it was an understatement to say that he felt lonely sometimes, usually when they got time off. Zachariah disappeared somewhere to do god knows what and Dave Ward went to the slums, presumably to waste away money, only to come back inebriated to the barracks.

But in all honesty, Zachariah’s peculiar disappearances nor Dave’s drunkard habits didn’t concern him as much as that guy. The chief of ASC who couldn’t take a simple no for an answer. Ever since Jeff arrived in Ophir and enlisted for active duty, that guy didn’t leave him alone. Hounding him at every step like a jealous lover (a bit exaggerated allegory, but apt) and harassing him. Continued refusal didn’t seem to discourage the Chief of secret police force, as he sent men. Just this week, he sent three men. They approached him on his time off, when he was by himself just walking around Exchange or going to visit a stall in the slums which sold his favorite food. The last guy who came out of nowhere nearly spooked his soul out of his body. He approached him when he was doing target practice in the Underworks, close by to a lift.

Now, Jeff dreaded to leave barracks. He didn’t want to be looking over his shoulder for an ASC agent coming at him out of nowhere, offering him a place in their ranks, as if he wanted to join such a reclusive unit. He came to Ophir to make a living, not to get involved in politics; Jeff will happily leave that annoyance to his betters.

But he couldn’t stay cooped up in here forever. Dave took off as soon as their last mission was debriefed and they were dismissed. Zachariah went outside (maybe to see his technomancer buddies) and even their unit leader, Eliza Major was away. Majority of soldiers were out. Visiting family, being with their family or just hanging out with friends.

He had neither a family nor any friends to speak of. Life in a city wasn’t as easygoing as he thought it would be. Wistfully, he gazed at the ceiling from the upper bunk bed. He wanted to get something to eat, something that wasn’t army rationed, bland and unappealing to his palate. Maybe get a drink while he was at it. Jeff hopped off and gave his rifle a side glance.

He’s just going out for a drink and to eat, what’s the worst that could happen? So, he left his rifle there, lying on a military crate next to beds. He saw that Dave left behind his shield and heavy weapon. Zachariah, however was ever cautious as if he was expecting an ambush around every corner. His handgun and knife weren’t lying on the usual stockpile of their weapons. Jeff hummed, strolling to the nearest exit. Literally on the doorstep, he met the affable quartermaster, Ryan Steward. “Hey, are you going out?”

“I don’t know about you, but I could use some spice in my food every now and then. I’m going out, gonna see if I can find some for a cheap price.” Jeff remarked, a smile playing on his lips.

“I understand this food ain’t for everybody, but you’ll get used to it, eventually. Anyhow, don’t let me keep you, soldier.” The quartermaster bid him a hasty farewell and sauntered inside, no doubt going to rest up.

Jeff closed the double door for him and took the shortest route to slums. He walked past the Source, ever vigilant (and presumably never sleeping) trainee technomancers, soldiers and researchers.

When he first arrived in Ophir, one could say he suffered quite a cultural shock; Greenhope was lively but this was a city which housed all of the military personnel, the brainiacs, politicians and common citizens. Since that day, he’s grown… accustomed to seeing incessant bustle of a great city. It’s also been a month (give or take) since he got lost and stumbled into a dead end alley.

He greeted the guards on duty standing at the checkpoint leading to slums. The airy atmosphere instantly relieved claustrophobia vibes the main part of Ophir was giving off. Perhaps it was just him being squeamish, but he hoped this feeling would go away. Ophir, for better or for worse was now his home. News from the front spoke of Greenhope being occupied by Aurora’s forces. War wasn’t kind to his hometown, but with both his parents dead, he had no family to worry about being trapped in enemy’s hands. It was a small comfort, but one had to take small victories where he could, right?

Lost in his inner musing, Jeff arrived at a leisure pace at the marketplace and put on a facade of indifference. Slums were patrolled by soldiers, but only around the entrances to Exchange, also the mutant pen was heavily fortified with guards to discourage mutants from organizing a revolt. But other than that, the Vory had a free reign in the streets.

As a soldier, he should be safe walking around by himself, but the last thing Jeff needed was to earn ire of another chief of (criminal) operations like Anton.

Everyone knew not to mess with two people in Ophir. Viktor Watcher and Anton Rogue. He was treading on thin ice with the chief of secret police, so even if he saw some Vory harassing his favorite spice vendor, Jeff didn’t stop them. With repugnance, Jeff grabbed a small pouch of spices and left appropriate sum of serum on the vendor’s stall table. Then he left, not looking back as the vendor bargained with those criminals who came to threaten him with paying protection fee.

Jeff balled up his fists, gritted teeth and forced himself to walk away without making a scene. Maybe Zachariah would intervene, but what good would it do? They cannot protect these people. Not from Vory… or ASC. It was a vicious cycle and he wasn’t sure if this situation would ever change. The power grab of Vory didn’t happen overnight, moreover the ASC have been gaining more and more power lately. He was a newcomer to this grand city, but even someone like him who was born and raised somewhere in a peaceful environment could see the corruption from the inside, rotting Abundance from within.

He gave the office of Anton Rogue a wide berth, going the opposite way. A few dilapidated houses were on this side. This route was less savory for his eyes, but much safer as Vory didn’t trouble themselves with the poorest of the poor folk who had no serum to pay them.

Jeff treated lightly, despite this street being free of Vory’s reign of terror, he wasn’t about to give someone an opening for a sneak attack.

As he was taking a sharp turn to the left, a bright glint of something shiny temporary blinded him. He held up his hands to shield his sight. Just then, an annoying crisp singing filled the street.

It was a bird, holding some kind of shiny metal between its paws. On the right paw, there was a slit of thin paper attached to it with a black ribbon.

Jeff was stunned, vexed by the appearance of this troublesome bird. He didn’t have to guess who would sent this chirping little winged monster to annoy him. The man was stubborn, he’ll give him that.

He snapped out of his shock and pointed accusingly at the bird, which released the loose metal part from its paws and descended from the building’s roof to the uneven ground. “Sending men wasn’t enough, now he’s sending birds to track me down. What do you want from me, I’m a straightforward man with no desire other than serve with my unit.”

The annoying bird blinked pretentiously as if it understood every word he’s said and bounded closer on its tiny legs. “Don’t come any closer, I’m warning you. Bird or not, I’m not in a good mood.”

Even more ostentatious tweeting came out of the bird’s beak, as if it was talking back to him. It thrust out the right paw, looking up at him, almost expectantly like a human would. “You’ll leave once I read this message?”

A single, confirming squeak of the very annoying bird was a sufficient incentive, so he bent down and took the secret message, unfastening the ominous black ribbon along with the paper. Once it was done, he took a few steps back and unfolded the sheet.

It was an order, as he predicted. Spying on Zachariah, his commanding unit officer Eliza Major and everyone else of importance. The message said he’ll be handsomely rewarded if he performed this task without being discovered. Sending messages through people was risky, so they would communicate through message bearing birds, specially trained to deliver secret messages back and forth between the Chief and his secret agents out in the field. Jeff scoffed, turning his attention back to the bird. “Okay, I read your letter. Kindly relay these words back to your master. Listen up. I just want to live in peace, doing my job and serving under someone with dignity and sense of duty, someone who can differentiate between what’s wrong and what’s good. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? I’ve received an order to be a fucking ratboy, but I’m not a backstabber so I can’t and won’t follow this order. Why are you so persistent in recruiting me, I’m a nobody. I’m a man of reason who lives by following a certain set of principles. I’m Hunter from Greenhope, but I’m not easily manipulated. You want to persuade me by ‘doing the right thing’, but this isn’t the right thing to do. You said ASC is doing everything for the greater good. Greater good! Only gullible fools believe that. ASC has nothing to do with me and I want it to stay that way. I won’t be your double agent, so stop harassing me with your people and these flying menaces. What you do is none of my business. Did you listen to me? Don’t. Ever. Come. To. Me. In. The. Future. Now fuck off, you stupid bird brain!!” Jeff shooed it away with his hands, but the bird stayed put, challenging him with a quip stare.

Jeff mockingly chuckled, the corner of his lips curved into a grin. He fished out a dog tag, the one an agent slipped into his pocket. He shoved it off to the bird. “See this? I don’t want this thing, it’s unseemly.” It was a special dog tag, the kind which were worn by agents of ASC. Some say they were even tokens of honor, given out by the Chief himself.

Indignant, he tore the paper into small pieces and lastly, he threw the dog tag at the bird, who finally got off ground, evading a direct hit to the head as it took flight. It chirped, alarmed and perhaps angry. Jeff glared at it for a brief moment before he turned on heel and stormed off. “I need a damn drink… I wonder if I’ll find Dave there?”

Fortunately, he wasn’t stalked by any more pesky people or animals, for which he was grateful. The trek to Curiosity’s was uneventful after his brash squabble. With a bird. He was certain no one heard him and even if they did, he refused to work for Viktor Watcher.

If he wasn’t a prime target for a third party, surely now he got on their list. He’ll forward the news to Zachariah, after all this spying business involved him. Maybe he’ll take some precaution against ASC, maybe not.

He pushed open the door of Curiosity’s and went further into the bar. The neon lights illuminating the enormous room gave it a laid – back atmosphere, which was exactly what Jeff craved right now. He spotted a familiar brawny lone figure sitting at the bar by himself. Jeff sat down on a high stool, next to Dave who spared him a quick glimpse, then he went back to his glass of some hard booze. “What brings you here, rookie?” Dave asked, not really expecting a reply, but when he heard Jeff’s tired sigh he finally looked at him properly. “I was stuck in a heated quarrel, a monologue on my part really and I’m just pissed off. Figured I’d better get pissed drunk than be pissed off. Neither is a healthy coping mechanism but maybe your influence is rubbing off on me, Dave.”

“You finally argued with Mancer?” Dave offhandedly questioned him, taking a sip out of his glass. “Nah, I know you have a clash of opinions with him, but he’s not that bad. To give you a clearer picture, I had an argument with… a bird.”

Dave’s eyes comically grew wider as he put the glass down. “A bird? What kind of bird are we talking about? Was it a woman…?”

“No, an actual bird. Anyhow, I’ll tell this tale later in detail when our squad leader is present. What I wanna know is, what’s the strongest stuff they have.” Jeff looked at the counter, filled with brands of alcohol he never heard of. Dave was a regular, if anyone would recommend him something good, it would be this man. The bartender round up to them with a salesman smile. “Ethan, give this man the usual. Put it on my tab.” The burly, tall man nodded and retreated.

“I can pay for myself, there’s no need –“ Jeff got cut off by a mighty smack on his back. “Shut up rookie. You’re buying us drinks next time we’re in this part of town.” Dave explained with a sly smirk that he’s never seen before on Dave’s face.

“A next time. There will be a next time?” Jeff didn’t want to sound hopeful, but he wanted to get along with his squad. Chances were they would be together in one unit for a long time. Also, it couldn’t hurt to mention that both of them were particularly easy on eyes, especially Dave Ward.

“I don’t see why not. We might not see eye to eye, but once I share drinks with someone, we are more than just soldiers stuck under some Mancer’s command. We become drink buddies. And I like sharing drinks with my buddies.” To solidify his words, the bartender came back with an uncorked bottle of something smelling like distilled, fermented socks. In other words, really strong alcohol. Exactly what he needed. He poured himself a full glass, clinked with Dave and downed his first shot. His throat was on fire as he involuntarily shed a few tears. Dave’s hearty, rich laughter was a work of art in itself. He felt warm inside and his cheeks were growing hotter by each passing second as Dave patted his shoulder repeatedly.

Dave poured him another glass of that liquid and they quaffed them down to the last drop. Jeff stole a few glances at his fellow soldier, smiling dumbly as the alcohol inevitably got to his head and made him feel woozy.

Much later when they got back to the barracks, Jeff sobered up a bit and laid down on the upper bunk. One row in front of him, on the other upper bunk bed Dave was already knocked out and snoring lightly. Perhaps someday they would upgrade their relationship from drinking buddies to something more, but for now this was more than enough. Anything more would be too greedy.

He settled more comfortably on his side when wind blew in and the back door was left opened for about ten seconds. He saw Zachariah walk in, looking… exhausted. They smiled at each other and Jeff watched him walk directly to the single room which had some semblance of privacy. Tomorrow, he will speak with him. It was past two in the morning, too late for a serious conversation.

The snores of men and women filled the silence until Jeff’s own breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a oneshot, I just wanted to write Jeff who is a good guy from the start. Also, there is a hint of Jeff having the hots for muscular guys. We all know this canon knowledge anyway, why not implement it xD  
> Lastly, the bird's species is up for your own interpretation, but I envisioned a magpie as I was writing this piece


End file.
